What's the use of a PhD anyway?

By
Euronews

Are more students choosing to do PhDs rather than starting a career? If so, why? Does it really help when it comes to finding a job? And for those graduates determined to tread the post graduate trail, how can they minimise the stress and maximise the benefits? We explore the whole topic of PhDs in this edition of Learning World.

Numbers of post-grad students are increasing all the time. But is the job market keeping pace? Or is a PhD useful in other ways? And can you get one without stressing out?

Slovakia: A PhD powerhouse

Thanks to generous government funding of both students and universities Slovakia is believed to be the OECD country with the most PhD graduates. But now people are asking questions about the use of having so many PhD graduates. Is the point of having a PhD to get a better job? If so, are there enough high-level jobs to go round? In this report we see how one university is tackling the issue.

Go West, young postgrad

While many countries are, like Slovakia, improving their education systems and trying to attract more PhD students, graduates are increasingly looking abroad for post-graduate courses. In this report we look at what the experience means for one Malaysian student doing a PhD at a prestigious institution in Italy.

The moment of truth: An Argentinian jury

Choosing the right course at the right university for you is obviously important. But what about the stress of presenting your thesis? What’s the best way to translate years of hard work, research and studying into a positive result over one hour in front of some total strangers? For some students, defending their thesis and dealing with criticism is the hardest lesson of all. We meet one student on their big day.

We would love to hear your experiences of studying for a PhD – the good as well as the bad! So do not hesitate to drop us a line on our social media pages. And remember, our Twitter hashtag is LEARNWORLD.